Speaking with Faith

Christian author Carol Round encourages women in their personal and spiritual growth through group events.

By: Lorrie Ward |
Category: Special Interest |
Issue: January 2013

Author and speaker Carol Round.

Christian author Carol Round always tells people, “If you had told me when I was younger that I would be speaking in front of large groups of my peers, I would have replied, 'I don't think so!'” The only ‘C’ Carol ever made in college was in speech class. “I was so nervous, I would grip the podium with sweating hands. So I tell people now, ‘God really does have a sense of humor.’” No one is more surprised than Carol when she looks over the events of the last year and realizes that she has not only spoken on several occasions in front of large groups of women, but has been interviewed on numerous radio stations across the U.S. and appeared on Christian television programs, including stations in Atlanta, Georgia and Santa Fe, New Mexico. "When I first received requests to speak, I was nervous and wasn't sure I could do it," says Carol. "However, my pastor said, 'Carol, God doesn't call the equipped; he equips the called.' He was telling me to trust God and keep my eyes on Him."

Carol’s speaking topics are based on her writing, which, unlike speaking, she has always been completely comfortable with because she has loved to read and write since she was a ­little girl. Her first speaking engagement came about in 2007 when she was asked to speak to a local church group in response to her self-syndicated column, “A Matter of Faith,” which runs in 12 Oklahoma newspapers (including “Claremore Daily Progress”) and is featured in an internationally-read online ­newspaper. She began doing small group sessions on the topic of prayer journaling and was asked at every session, “Do you have a book?” With writing as her first love, Carol did not have to be urged very strongly to ­produce what her listeners were asking for: "Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to God." After receiving more requests to speak, she published a companion workbook to help women put the principles learned in "Journaling with Jesus" to practical use for themselves. Her workbook, "The 40-Day Challenge," is her fourth book. She has also authored "A Matter of Faith" and "Faith Matters," both compilations of her weekly column, which can be used as daily devotionals. Her fifth book, "by FAITH alone," another collection of her columns, was released in November.

With these completed ­projects under her belt, Carol has received even more requests to speak at women’s events, and her audiences continue to grow in size. Her topics are designed to aid women in their personal and spiritual growth, with such seminar titles as “Journaling with Jesus,” “Perfecting your Personality,” and “Sharing your Faith Story.” Carol often incorporates humor into her writing and speaking, which is evidenced by other speech titles: “Are You a Worry Wart?,” “I’m not Martha Stewart,” and “Don’t Look at Your Butt in the Dressing Room Mirror.”

“I want to encourage other women,” says Carol. "We live in a broken, confusing world. If we allow the media to dominate our lives with all the negative news, we could easily just give up."

This call to encourage others was what helped Carol to not only overcome her fear of ­speaking to her peers, but to actually enjoy the experience. “We all have a story to share of what God is doing in our lives, and we need to be sharing that story with others, including our children and grandchildren," says Carol. “When God opens the door for us, we need to walk through it. For me, that open door is when God called me to start speaking.”

To find out more about Carol Round and her ministry, visit her on Facebook or at her blog, www.carolaround.com. To schedule a speaking engagement, contact Carol at eat0@eau0eav0eaw0 or call (918) 540-4282. All of Carol’s books are available for purchase on her blog or at amazon.com, where you can also read reviews of her work.